1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile phone, and more particularly, to a method of making a multiparty conference call for conferring with multiple parties on a mobile phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multiparty conference call on a mobile phone is a conference with multiple remote parties using mobile phone services. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a conventional method for a mobile phone subscriber to have a conference with four remote parties using mobile phone services. In step 110, the conference inviter sets the mobile phone to multiparty conference mode. In response, the mobile phone displays a message requesting the phone number of the first remote party to participate in the conference. After the inviter inputs the phone number of the first remote party in step 120, the mobile phone transmits a set-up command asking for the connection of the first remote party to the service network in step 130.
Upon receiving the connection confirmation from the service network in step 140, the inviter inputs a hold command asking the network to put the first remote party on hold in step 150. If there is no confirmation of connection at step 140, the process returns to step 120. Subsequently receiving the confirmation of the hold command at step 160, the inviter inputs the phone number of the second remote party at step 170. At step 180, a set-up command asking for the connection of the second remote party to the service network is transmitted. After receiving in step 190 the connection confirmation from the service network, the inviter inputs a join key through a menu in step 200. If there is no connection confirmation, the process returns to step 170.
Continuing through block A to FIG. 1B, once the inviter inputs the join key, the mobile phone transmits, in step 210, a multiparty conference request (MPTY request) to the service network, which joins the previous call, now holding, of the first remote party and the present active call of the second remote party to form a combined active call. Receiving the confirmation of the MPTY request from the service network in step 220, the mobile phone transmits, in step 230, a hold command asking the network to hold the combined active call. Receiving, in step 240, the confirmation of the hold command from the network, the inviter inputs the phone number of the third remote party at step 250, so that, at step 260, the mobile phone transmits a set-up command asking the connection of the third remote party to the network.
Upon receiving the confirmation of the connection, at step 270, the inviter inputs a join key, at step 280, resulting in the mobile phone transmitting, at step 290, an MPTY request to the network, which joins the previous combined active call, now on hold, and the present active call of the third remote party to form a final combined active call. If there is no confirmation at step 270, the process returns to step 250. Upon receiving confirmation of the MPTY request from the network at step 300, the mobile phone commences the actual multiparty conference at step 310. Thus, the conventional method of making a multiparty conference call requires laborious series of manual ley pressing in order to connect all the parties participating the conference.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a mobile phone automatically invite multiple parties for a remote conference by storing them in the mobile phone beforehand.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of making a mobile phone invite multiple remote parties for a remote multiparty conference through a mobile phone service network, comprises the steps of: setting the mobile phone to multiparty conference mode; searching a subscriber table in which is stored the multiple remote parties to find out what phone numbers to call; transmitting a set-up command asking for the connection of the first remote party to the network; holding the connection upon receiving confirmation from the network; transmitting another set-up command asking for the connection of the next remote party to the network; transmitting a multiparty conference request (MPTY request) to the network to join the present active call of the next remote party with the previous call on hold of the first remote party upon receiving confirmation of the next or second remote party""s connection from the network; holding the joined call of the first and second remote parties; repeating the previous fifth to seventh steps until joining the last numbered remote party; and commencing the multiparty conference.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the drawings attached only by way of example.